Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently. The sound that followed was deep and guttural, a metallic groan mixed with the shattering of steel pushed far beyond its limits.
Arthur frowned and lifted his gaze.
From behind what looked like an abandoned building at the edge of the forest, a massive form began to rise, shaking loose clouds of dust and chunks of concrete. The walls split open like fragile shells, revealing the towering body of a Goliath-class machine — until now, camouflaged as part of the ruined landscape.
The creature's "eyes," if they could even be called that, glowed with an intense, ominous red.
Its arms were immense, forged from industrial alloys and mining frameworks — a brutal fusion of engineering and savagery.
Each movement cracked the ground beneath its weight as the metallic titan advanced.
Arthur didn't hesitate when he saw the colossal machine swing one of its burning arms toward him. The air around it shimmered with heat, flames licking the metal from sheer friction.
"Damn it!" he cursed, moving instinctively.
He grabbed the nearest figure and leapt backward.
A heartbeat later, the massive limb crashed down, crushing the earth where they'd just been standing as if the world were made of paper.
The impact sent a scorching wave of debris and hot air, throwing them both several meters away.
Arthur rolled across the ground, shielding the woman in his arms until they finally stopped. The mechanical roar of the giant still rang in his ears.
A second slower, and she would've been dead — maybe him too.
He pushed himself up, scanning the battlefield.
The scene before him was pure devastation.
Two members of 2B's squad — those who had been closest to the impact zone — had been obliterated, crushed under the wrath of the blow.
Dust and molten metal rose like a grim curtain, hiding what was left of their bodies.
A few meters away, 2B and 9S were struggling to recover, dazed and covered in soot, while a third android lay on the ground, screaming in pain — her leg torn off by the shockwave.
Arthur's frown deepened.
"Thanks," said a soft female voice still close to his chest.
A2 slowly pushed herself away, supporting herself on the ground.
She didn't seem injured — only surprised.
Given her skills, she could've easily dodged the attack, but one of the smaller machines had interfered, blocking her sensors at the worst possible moment.
For a split second, she hadn't even seen the strike coming — and that would've been her end if Arthur hadn't moved.
"No need to thank me," he replied, brushing the dust from his clothes. "We've got a much bigger problem to deal with…"
His eyes locked on the colossal iron figure ahead.
The Goliath was moving again. Exposed sections of its body glowed orange, the heat radiating so fiercely it distorted the air around it.
"Where's that thing's power source?" Arthur asked without looking away.
9S quickly answered,
"You're thinking of destroying Engels' core? I wouldn't recommend that."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?"
"The armor's ridiculously dense. No blade could pierce deep enough to reach the core — not without vaporizing in the process."
Arthur's gaze flicked toward the android.
"Then what's the alternative?"
"Destroy the control system. It's more vulnerable. The access point's complicated, but if you can hold it off long enough… I can paralyze the core before it overheats."
Arthur nodded, his eyes still fixed on the steel giant.
"Understood."
A2 picked up her sword again, her tone sharp and confident.
"So the plan's simple — get in there and rip the bastard's head off."
Arthur smirked slightly.
"I like the way you think. Guess you and I both prefer the good old-fashioned brute force approach."
Without another word, the group charged toward the massive machine.
BOOM—BOOM!
Two massive explosions thundered overhead, lighting up the gray sky with orange flashes. The air vibrated, and shards of burning metal rained down like embers. They were missiles — fired by the Goliath Engels — but none hit the ground.
Every single one was intercepted midair, shot down with surgical precision by YoRHa aerial support.
Specifically, 2B's aerial support unit.
Within seconds, the group reached the base of the massive construct. The earth shook violently beneath their feet, as if the land itself wanted to reject their presence.
But before they could begin their ascent, a familiar, horrifying sound echoed around them — a mechanical roar, followed by hundreds of synchronized metallic footsteps.
Dozens of machines emerged from the ruins like swarming locusts. Their optical lenses glowed crimson, their voices crackling in distorted screams of static.
A2 spun on her heel, her blade slicing one in half.
Before she could strike another, something clamped around her ankle — a cold, heavy claw. She barely had time to react before she was yanked to her knees, the shadow of another machine's leg descending toward her.
Arthur reacted instantly.
"Don't get distracted," he said firmly.
In one smooth motion, his blade Koryuga swept through the air, slicing the attackers cleanly in two.
Arthur moved forward.
Every step was deliberate. Every strike — absolute precision.
He swung his sword horizontally, severing heads and limbs in a single arc.
Another machine lunged at him from behind — he pivoted, driving the blade through its chest with bone-shattering force.
"Pointless…" he muttered under his breath, his tone calm despite the chaos. "You're nothing but scrap."
His movements blurred — too fast for the eye to follow.
Only the shrill hiss of tearing metal marked his passage.
Fragments rained down like metallic snow.
But the horde didn't stop.
The ground was carpeted with broken bodies, and yet more machines crawled out of the wreckage.
It was like fighting the tide — endless, relentless.
Arthur twisted, dodged, countered, and cut with surgical grace, but every strike only seemed to draw more enemies to him.
Then, amidst the chaos, a deeper sound rolled across the battlefield — low, guttural, almost like the growl of an ancient engine.
Arthur looked up for just a fraction of a second.
That was his mistake.
From beneath a pile of shattered debris, a machine lunged.
A metal arm shot forward and impaled Arthur's flank, piercing flesh and muscle.
The impact staggered him.
Blood spilled across the broken ground, and he clenched his teeth, forcing the pain down.
"Tch… damn bastards…" he growled through gritted teeth.
Before he could recover, dozens more machines surged toward him, crawling over each other in a grotesque wave of steel.
Arthur raised his blade, ready to retaliate — but it was too late.
They swarmed him completely, piling atop him, a mountain of metal grinding and shrieking. For a heartbeat, everything went still.
Then — their eyes all flared red in perfect unison.
And then—
BOOOOOOMMMMM!
A colossal explosion consumed everything.
A wave of red and orange light swept across the battlefield, the shockwave scattering wreckage for hundreds of meters.
The earth shook violently, fire devoured the air, and a deafening silence followed in the wake of destruction.
(End of Chapter)